Ovarian cancer research

Research into prevention and early detection

There are various trials looking at ways to prevent and detect ovarian cancer earlier.

We outline some of these trials below.

Screening for ovarian cancer

At the moment, there is no screening test reliable enough to use for ovarian cancer. A trial called UKCTOCS has been looking at ovarian cancer screening in the general population between the ages of 50 to 74. They were looking at the CA125 blood test and transvaginal ultrasound scan.

The UK Familial Ovarian Cancer Screening Study (UK FOCSS) is looking at screening women who are at a high risk of developing ovarian cancer because they have a family history of cancer of the ovary or breast, or they have family members with a known genetic fault (such as BRCA 1 or BRCA 2).

The research team found that yearly screening may not be enough to detect early stage ovarian cancer in women who are at high risk of developing the disease.

From these screening studies, researchers now have a large number of blood samples that they can study to try and find biomarkers, other than CA125, for ovarian cancer.

BRCA 1 and 2 and other genes

We can now test for 3 gene faults involved in ovarian cancer. If you have breast cancer and ovarian cancer in your family, it may be that people in your family are carrying a fault in one of the cancer genes BRCA1 or BRCA2. If you have one of these gene faults, you have an increased risk of breast and ovarian cancer.

Another gene fault that increases risk of ovarian cancer is HNPCC (hereditary non polyposis colorectal cancer), also called Lynch syndrome.

Scientists have discovered that faults in the RAD51D gene can also increase the risk of developing ovarian cancer. Testing for this gene fault in the future may be helpful for women with a family history of the disease. The researchers hope this discovery may also lead to the development of new treatments.

It is important to remember that most cancers happen because of damage to cells that occurs during our lives, not because we have inherited any specific gene fault. But the Familial Ovarian Cancer Registry trial found that in families where at least 2 relatives have (or have had) ovarian cancer, there were faults in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes.

Research into borderline ovarian tumours

Borderline ovarian tumours are not considered to be true cancers. They are made up of abnormal cells that may become cancer. They develop in the ovary but do not usually grow into surrounding tissue and rarely spread.

Doctors and researchers want to find out more about how these tumours develop. They will gather information from samples of tumour tissue. They will also look at what treatment women have and will collect data from follow up visits.

They hope this information will help them to be able to shape treatments to better suit individual women in the future.

Research into treatment

Chemotherapy

Past trials have found which chemotherapy drugs work well for ovarian cancer. But current trials are testing the best time to have chemotherapy, the best combinations and doses of drugs, and different ways of giving chemotherapy.

Biological therapies

Biological therapies are drugs that change the way cells work. They can boost the body's immune system to fight off or kill cancer cells, or they can block signals that tell cells to grow.

There are many different types of biological therapy, including:

Growth factor blockers

Growth factor blocker drugs work by blocking proteins that make cells grow and multiply. Nintedanib (BIBF 11200) and trametinib are examples.

Blood supply blockers

Blood supply blocker drugs stop tumours from developing their own blood vessels. Without its own blood supply, a cancer cannot continue to grow. Angiogenesis means growth of new blood vessels, so you may hear these drugs called anti angiogenic drugs.

Helping with bowel problems after radiotherapy

Side effects of radiotherapy for ovarian cancer include frequent bowel movements, diarrhoea, pain, bleeding from the bowel and the forming of scar tissue in the bowel (radiation fibrosis). Trials are looking at ways to help with these side effects.

The PPALM trial is looking at the use of a palm oil supplement and a drug called pentoxifylline to relieve symptoms caused by pelvic radiotherapy. Doctors think these may work well together to reduce radiation fibrosis. The trial team want to find out if this combination of treatment helps, and to learn more about the side effects.

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